11 Famous Actors Who Were Fired, Quit, Or Died While Filming And Had To Be Replaced ASAP
Occasionally, a film or TV show will find itself in the unexpected position of having to replace an actor in one of its major roles. The reasons for this can vary, including death, injury, or differing perspectives. So here are just 11 times an actor was replaced and the fellow performer who took over their role:
1.Henry Cavill in The Witcher. The actor left the ongoing Netflix series after two seasons. Cavill and Netflix have not publicly stated a reason for his departure.
Replaced by Liam Hemsworth. "Henry, I've been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I'm truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world," Liam said in a statement earlier this year.
2.Chris Farley in Shrek. The comedian died in 1997, before the film's release in 2001.
Replaced by Mike Myers. According to his brother, Farley had recorded most of his lines for the film before his untimely death.
3.Nicole Kidman in Panic Room. According to Entertainment Weekly, she dropped out of the film after a knee injury she sustained while filming Moulin Rouge prevented her from the physically demanding lead role in Panic Room.
Replaced by Jodie Foster. "I was in a really bad way. I was like, 'I'm having a breakdown.' And Jodie took over, thank the Lord," Nicole told the Hollywood Reporter in 2024.
4.Naya Rivera in Step Up. Rivera died in 2020 in between Seasons 2 and 3.
Replaced by Christina Milian for Season 3. "I know I have massive shoes to fill. Naya was incredible. I hope to honor Naya, her family, friends and fans with a great performance," Milian said in a statement per TVLine.
5.Richard Harris in Harry Potter. The actor died in 2002, before the franchise's second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was released. It was the final Harry Potter film he acted in.
Replaced by Michael Gambon, beginning with the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
6.Andre Braugher in the upcoming Shonda Rhimes series, The Residence. The actor died in 2023 while the show was on pause from filming amid the 2023 WGA and SAG strikes.
Replaced by Giancarlo Esposito. "To be afforded the opportunity to create in his honor with this incredible team extends the depth and breadth of his legacy through all of us who loved him so dearly," Esposito said in a statement, per Deadline.
7.Lance Reddick in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The actor died in 2023 before Season 1 premiered.
Replaced by Courtney B. Vance for the upcoming second season. "I know that stepping into this role of Zeus will be a memorable experience and I'll be giving my brother, Lance Reddick, who left us way too soon, a heavenly hug," Vance said in a statement, per Variety.
8.Helen McCrory in His Dark Materials. The actor died in 2021. She played the snow leopard Stelmaria in Seasons 1 and 2.
Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images, HBO / Via youtube.com
Replaced by Victoria Hamilton for Season 3.
9.Ruby Rose in Batwoman. The actor starred in Season 1 of Batwoman in 2019 and 2020.
Replaced by Javicia Leslie. She played a new character taking up the Batwoman mantle: Ryan Wilder. Rose told Entertainment Weekly in 2020 that she left the show following back surgery. "Most people take about a month or three off before they return to work, so it was definitely made more difficult by that," she told the publication. "But as far as being a lead of a show or a film — regardless if it's action or if it's emotional — in whichever ways it's taxing."
10.Katie Holmes in Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise. After appearing in Batman Begins, Holmes didn't return for the second film, The Dark Night.
Replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal. "You know, I really enjoyed working on the first one and I wish I could have worked with Chris Nolan again and I hope to work with him again. It was a decision that I made at that time and it was right for me at that moment, so I don't have any regrets. I think that Maggie did a wonderful job. But I really hope that I get to work with Chris some day," Holmes told Business Insider in 2016.
11.Finally, Janet Hubert in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She left the showing following Season 3.
Replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid. "They offered me 10 weeks of work and they said you can't work anywhere else. My agent said you cannot accept this. They'll come back, but they didn't," Hubert told WABC in 2020.
Which of these recastings surprised you the most? Are there other examples that come to mind? Let us know in the comments below!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
40 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Netflix just added a fast-paced action thriller — and it's my favorite Gerard Butler movie
"Plane" is my favorite movie new on Netflix this week. It might even be my favorite movie coming to Netflix this month. It's definitely my favorite Gerard Butler movie — well, at least for live action. Now, I'll fully admit I have a soft spot for the Scottish actor. I've written about how "Gamer" is my favorite "bad movie," and I'll gladly hit play on "Den of Thieves," "300" or even "The Ugly Truth." I could go on and on, but honestly, if I could recommend just one Gerard Butler movie — setting aside "How to Train Your Dragon" — it'd be "Plane." This movie delivers what it promises. It's not overly convoluted and the action sequences are great, even if they're not on par with something you'd get from a "John Wick" movie. So sit down, grab some popcorn, and set the phone aside for this fast-paced 107-minute-long action thriller. Here's why "Plane" is the movie you need to be streaming right now on Netflix. In "Plane," Butler stars as commercial airline pilot Brodie Torrance. He's looking to join his daughter for some quality time, and the only thing standing in his way is completing Trailblazer Airlines Flight 119. This looks set to be an uneventful flight, with just 14 passengers heading from Hawaii to Japan. Even the addition of a fugitive being extradited by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police seems unlikely to send things into chaos. But Torrance is forced to go through a storm, during which a lightning strike fries the plane's avionics. He manages to land the plane safely — only to discover he's in the pirate-controlled Jolo Islands. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Now, Brodie, a former RAF pilot, and the fugitive Louis (Mike Colter), a former French Foreign Legionnaire, have to use their military training to keep the surviving passengers and crew alive until they can finally be rescued — or find another way off the island. In retrospect, "Plane" came at just the right time for me. Too many movies, including more than a few disappointing Marvel movies, were convoluted, filled with bad CGI and just too often ... well, boring. Not "Plane" though. This movie harkens back to the era of 2000s action movies that were slick but not campy, with just the right level of production value and a simple premise. This movie also does get one little thing right, which many action movies struggle with. Butler is the star of this movie, and he gets in some great fights during it. But he's supposed to be an aging, perhaps even washed-up, former RAF pilot. The movie leans into this, letting Butler get beat up more than once, and it's clear as you watch it that Louis, who is a former French Legionnaire (it seems likely he was involved in some special or black ops while in the service) and still in peak shape, is the better killer of the two. Which he should be, based on what we know about the characters. Many action movies would force Butler to be the one to always get the glory and come away looking the best, but "Plane" allows Butler to perform the way we'd expect his character to perform. Most importantly, though, the action in this movie is fun. There's a scene where Colter's Louis takes out some bad guys with a sledgehammer, and that's never a bad time. Don't just take my word for it, though. If you head over to Rotten Tomatoes, you'll see this has a 79% rating from critics (not bad) but a 94% rating from audience viewers. After looking through the reviews, it's clear the audience got this one right, because they view a "standard" action thriller as a good thing, not a failure to be something greater. To be clear, "standard" is pretty apt for describing "Plane," but that's exactly why it works so well. It's all killer, no filler, giving you exactly what you want from a fast-paced extraction action movie. I promise you that there are better action movies out there. But, I also promise you that you'll have a great time watching "Plane." I know I did. Stream 'Plane' now on Netflix Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'The Summer I Turned Pretty' final season trailer reveals Jeremiah and Belly's engagement, Conrad's heartbreak
The battle for Belly's (Lola Tung) heart is alive and well in the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty — and it's all leading to a wedding. The first trailer for the third and final season of Prime Video's adaptation of Jenny Han's beloved book trilogy is finally here, and it teases plenty of drama ahead for Belly and the Fisher brothers after both a long hiatus and a major time jump. But the biggest bombshell in the footage? Belly gets engaged to her current boyfriend Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), even though her first love Conrad (Christopher Briney) is still very much in her heart. "First loves are important," Belly says in the trailer, which features a mashup of Taylor Swift's "Red (Taylor's Version)" and "Daylight." "But they're not as important as lasts." The trailer begins with sweet shots of Belly and Jeremiah acting super couple-y now that they're at college together. And Conrad tells a woman all about his first and only love, Belly, while he's away in California. But while Belly tries to tell herself that Conrad is "the past" and Jeremiah is her "future" and "the one," the love triangle reignites as all three return to Cousins for a life-changing summer leading up to the wedding. Watch the full trailer below. According to the official synopsis, the final season picks up at "the end of her junior year in college," which is a departure from Han's final book in the series, We'll Always Have Summer, which is set two summers earlier. The author-showrunner previously told Entertainment Weekly that fans of her books should prepare for changes from the source material. "There are surprises," Han said. "And there are things that aren't exactly like the books." When the final season begins, Belly is happily still together with Jeremiah after choosing him over Conrad in the season 2 finale. While her future seems set, "some core-shaking events" bring Conrad back into her life, reigniting the feelings she long thought were buried. Belly will be forced to make a decision, once and for all, of which Fisher brother she wants to be with. "I feel like I'm doing my job if people are really fighting for their sides," Han previously told EW of the Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah shipper debate. But it all leads to what Han hopes is a "satisfying" conclusion in the series finale, no matter what "team" you root for."A successful love triangle is one where, no matter what happens, people are going to be devastated and heartbroken," Han warned. "Because if the answer feels really clear and easy, then there's no real conflict. No matter what you do, someone's going to be hurt by it." The final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty premieres Wednesday, July 16, with episodes rolling out weekly on Prime Video. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kate Beckinsale Sues Over Knee Injury on Croatian Set of ‘Canary Black'
Kate Beckinsale has sued the producers of 'Canary Black,' alleging that she suffered a significant knee injury during filming on an unsafe set in Croatia. Beckinsale alleges that she was injured while filming an action scene with minimal padding. She argues that the scene should have been done by a stunt performer, but that her stunt double had previously broken her ankle. More from Variety Kate Beckinsale Tells Set Horror Stories: Being 'Felt Up' by a Crew Member at 18, 'Forced by a Publicist' to Shoot the 'Day After I Had a Miscarriage' and More Kate Beckinsale Fires Back at Online Body Shamers, Reveals Cause of Six-Week Hospital Stay: I 'Burned a Hole' in My Esophagus Kate Beckinsale, Scott Eastwood Set for Kidnap Thriller 'Stolen Girl' From Director James Kent The lawsuit alleges that filming days would go as long as 15 hours, despite a 12-hour limit in Beckinsale's contract, exposing her to hazards arising from fatigue. During filming in December 2022, Beckinsale was to perform in a scene in which another actor threw her against a wall. 'Ms. Beckinsale complained that the scene did not seem safe, and that the throwing of her into the wall was too hard and too dangerous,' the lawsuit alleges. 'Notwithstanding the complaints by Ms. Beckinsale, there were numerous takes of this dangerous scene.' According to the complaint, Beckinsale suffered a complex tear of her left meniscus. Beckinsale sought medical care and was out of commission for a couple of months, returning to set in February to finish the film. She alleges that even then, the producers ignored the limitations imposed by her doctors and again coerced her into performing unsafe action scenes. The complaint was first reported by Puck. Beckinsale's attorneys filed a cursory version the lawsuit in December, listing Beckinsale as 'Jane Doe.' They did not serve Anton Entertainment, the defendants, until after amending the complaint with more detailed allegations, and with Beckinsale's name, in May. The defendants have yet to respond in court. The film debuted last year on Amazon Prime. Beckinsale has had several health issues in recent years. In 2024, she disclosed that she had been hospitalized for six weeks for an esophageal tear, which she attributed to a grief response to her stepfather's death. She also said a severe flare of her mast cell disease had contributed to her illness. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
